Welcome to my blog, Green Tea Club !I'll show you all the beauties and goodies in Shizuoka through this blog.If you have any inquiry, please feel free to post your messages on it. Hope to see you around in Shizuoka !

07/01/2011 [Fri]

For Buddhist training – Kasuisai – 2 [Fukuroi]

After Zen meditation, I headed for “Shojin Ryori”, the Zen Vegetarian Cuisine that is very popular here at Kasuisai Temple. Shojin Cuisine is a meal for Buddhist monks with no meat or fish, even in a soup stock. Each flavor might be felt too simple but it can be also regarded at the same time as the ultimate cuisine because it makes the best of its original taste. Each and every vegetable such as carrot, potato, and bamboo shoot is meant to be individually a main dish.

I saw many visitors enjoying Shojin cuisine in a room despite a weekday. Telling you the truth, I’m not good with vegetables, but once I tasted it, I could tell that the sweet flavor infiltrated into my body that brought me an inexplicable relief.

After Shojin Cuisine, I walked around the temple. First comes a Hondo main hall. Here, I advise you to look around carefully to find the Tokugawa family crest as in the picture. It can be found everywhere in the temple !

Tokugawa Family Crest

Next one is a main hall of Shuyoji Temple that was originally located in Mt.Akiha, allegedly believed to have 1300 year history. It enshrines Akiha Sanjakubo, considered as a god of fire protection, and many people still come all the way from a distance to worship it. A story says that he transformed himself as a figure below by supernatural power gained after the rigorous Zen training.

Akiha Sanjakubo

This is “the best washroom in Japan” in Kasuisai temple. “Ususama-myo-o”, the god of fire is said to burn out every filthy thing.

Ususama Myoo in the middle of the washroom

That is, it’s indicating please keep the washroom clean. I don’t think anyone can get it messy right in front of this beautiful god. By the way, believe it or not, this washroom is for both men and women. Don’t get confused if you see a lady behind you.＾＾

They say that there are 33 spots to see in the temple. Stamp-rally is held every day and you will have a small gift only if you can collect more than 20 stamps on the reverse side of the map on the right. The washroom above is No18. I’m sorry I could not report all of them here. Go ahead and try !